NIGC Weekly Meeting Oct 22, 2008

In attendance:
Dr. Pond, Norma, Barbara, Andrea, Ayano, David, Kevin, Pasang, Trieu, Jessica.

Agenda
1. Rescheduling of Native EXPO (Barbara)
A) Rescheduling of the EXPO to spring and feedback regarding planning
B) Activities for November 7
C) Confirm dinner meeting with the Plateau Center Fellow for Wednesday, November 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Native American Culture House
2. Other items for discussion
A) NA Heritage Month (Norma)
B) NAWA speaker (Rebecca/Erika)
C) What’s decided (Ayano)
D) Mentoring NAA (Ayano)
E) Cougparents grant budget (David, Kevin, Trieu)
F) NIGC outreach/recruitment/invitation letter
G) Next Facilitator
What’s decided:
1. NIGC will have a dinner meeting with the Plateau Center Fellow for Wednesday, November 12, 5:30 – 7:30 pm in the Native American Culture House.
2. Phil Cash Cash, Nez Perce/Cayuse/Umatilla, doctoral candidate, is the appointed Plateau Center Fellow.
3. November 7: Native American Research Colloquium: Phil Cash Cash, Plateau Fellow presents at 12:10pm and Corela Scott, ATNI Executive Director presents at 1:10 pm at CUB JR Ball room (2nd floor).
4. Native expo will be on Friday, February 20, 2009
5. Feedback and planning meeting for Native Expo 2009 is November 19. Barbara will send an email to our list for us to decide on the time.
6. Meeting time will be 4:30 pm effective Wed. OCT 29 at NASC (CUB 410).
7. Starting next meeting, one person facilitates and another person takes minutes at meeting.
8. Next meeting (Wed. OCT 29) facilitator —David volunteered and Andrea volunteered to take minutes.
9. Cougparents grant: David, Kevin and Ayano will meet to complete the grant at 3pm Thursday Oct 23.
10. One-page outreach/recruitment/invitation letter from NIGC in PDF will be a separate document than the description for cougparents grant.

Minutes:
1. (A): Rescheduling of the expo to spring and feedback regarding planning

Ayano: about the title of the expo, can you expand the definition to include others outside of American natives?
Barbara: No, I have to think about it… just Plateau… not change title but include invitations to encourage people to participate.
Ayano: if you want to increase participation, the title means a lot, the title is important. The title: Native American: a contested term it excludes indigenous peoples in Canada/Mexico border and indigenous world wide
David: what is it meant to be native, indigenous? How do we help people to connect?
Ayano: the definition matters. Displaced natives are around the world.
Barbara: you should have a panel to discuss the title at the expo.
Dr. Pond: should have theme to include world cultures for expo.
Kevin: native is universal. Many terms are colonial terms.
Ayano: in addition to expanding title, subtitle/theme for each year such as: global economic struggles… to overarch the expo.
David: Pacific Islanders have an affinity with natives and want to be included in this space because the feelings constraint by labels… make space that welcomes to all… that we’re not token… space for native empowerment… original purpose of expo: to honor people from far and wide, different people different place, honor the Palouse people whose land we walk on…
Andrea: WSU sits on indigenous land: we never left the region and we have always been here. As a land grant institution it has a reciprocal relationship with tribes…
Barbara: I think for people to feel welcome: the hospitality of welcoming is important… to have atmosphere that people feel welcome to this event.
Dr. Pond: More discussion/dialogue on the issue with title of expo is needed.
Barbara: I hope you have a panel at the expo.


2. (A): Native American Heritage Month: Norma provides a working list on November Activities/Events in honoring NA Heritage Month.

Norma: Will the NIGC be doing a project or program for Heritage Month?
Ayano: How can we be a part?
Norma: NIGC can sponsor a speaker or film.
Andrea: Does anyone knows if the film “Nez Perce Homeland” available?
David: will find out on Nez Perce Homeland.
Dr. Pond: should look into the film “the language”
David: we should participate but what? How much money do we have to do?
Andrea: speaker, Dr. Rodney Frey at U of I teaches Plateau cultures
Ayano: make a list of professors at WSU in which their works are on Native cultures for mentorship…
Norma: Taste of America at dining hall again this year.
Dr. Pond: Wednesday Nov 12 and Thursday Nov 13—2 performances from Dr. Pond’s class and the Palouse Intertribal drum group will be there. The Southside Café on Wed Nov 12 serves salmon, homoni and cranberry cobbler with performance from drum group starts at 5:30 pm. Rate for family and large group is available….want to make it available to other communities outside of WSU. Contact person: Whitney.
Dr. Pond: historically, on Terell Mall, we had tipi, fry bread sale and drum for NA Heritage Month.

(B): NAWA speaker: No info. Rebecca did not attend.

(C): What’s decided:
Ayano: is the NIGC outreach/recruitment/invitation letter is the same for the grant proposal or not?
David: No. It has to be 2 separate documents. One is just for the grant and the other is for the organization.

(D): Mentoring NA undergrads
Ayano: undergrads in my class express the needs for mentorship. NIGC should get together with undergrads to interact.
David: How we mentor undergrads: help with application process, letter or CV…
Andrea: brown bag discussion, fundraiser/sponsor…
Ayano: create monthly newsletters for undergrads, encourage and involve undergrads in newsletters…

(E) Cougparents grant budget:
David, Kevin, Ayano will meet at 3pm to complete cougparents grant application.

(F): NIGC outreach/recruitment/invitation letter:
Ayano: item for next week agenda: NIGC’s purpose

(G): Next week facilitator:
Ayano: starting with next week’s meeting, we should have a member to facilitate and a member to take minutes.
David: volunteered to be next week’s facilitator.
Andrea: volunteered to be next week’s minutes taker.

Meeting adjourned around 7:00 pm.